The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-08-04
WASHINGTON GOSSIP,
The Weeks DOingS at the Ma
tiOnal Capita.

were Instituted some weeks ago, for the de-
ulared purpose Of wedding the Departments OF
Sncompctont employees, aud putting the supe-
rior ones in the way Of promotion 10 the higher
grades. great deal OF distrust has been ielt
and expressed over this declaration, and lew
have been found who had confidence in its
franlness or truth. The prevailing opinion is,
that il is scheme TO make vacancies Ito
furnish excuses for dismissing old and iaith-
fu men, that they may be replaced by new APP
pointees. II is certainly singular that the ex-
Hminations are not mainly directed, as one
would think they would he with old clerks,
with view OF ascertauing how well ACQUAINTED
theyexamined clerks are with practical duties
OF their position, and their competency 70 per-
form their specific work, but is n mere schoias-
tic examination, much the same as candidates
Tor appointment have 10 undergo. For example,
the 400 clerks in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Office
were examined last week. A large proportion
OF them are men who have been IN the Office Tor
y decade OF more, and have been promoted for
efficiency from lower grades to the ones that
they occupy at present. They started IN with
at least fair common school education, and
have added to this special training IN the
routine Of Office, which makes them OF much
more value than any new clerk can be. They
know precisely where any information that is
wanted can be found with the least trouble,
they know what ought 10 bedOne with any COM
nu licati0n OF paper, and Jbus they can Trans
act the business OF the Office with celebrity and
accuracy. Ii would seem 10 a c0mmon-sense
man that ii they were 10 be subjected TO an eX-
animation it should be 10 find out whether any
Of them are deficient in this special training
or knowledge. Instead, the $1,000 and $1,000
clerks were given exercises IN spelling PEN
inanship, punctuation and capitalization, with
The following letter 20 correct:
One OF the less recognized agencies efieoting
Stature is Fatigue under the lniiewense OF which
the Hight demiuishcs Soldier is pcraepiabiy
taller before than after forced March, when the
body d iatigucd It gives way Pc Carriages loose
there leastssiiy aud become thinner and the fatiey
and Fibrous Cushuns which give spring 10 The Or
gains of lsocamoshun become less Supple ana more
agenusgniid AN OF which contribute 10 the dim
nlinusliun Of hight the liHsheo Of Muscular En-
Mercy 10 the Pound Of living wait IS much greater
with small OF middle sized men than with very
large ones Che Length OF the Limbs 81 the latter
nese-erriiy Occasions an AmpetOed In his
moshuns that makes cxecushun slower length OF
limb also contributes 10 waist Of strength thus
looking al Mileiary Apitetudcs Il Il tbs ldiaoie
sized or Small men that offer the greatest hnargg
Power % resist Fatigue and Actively ~ Batei ana
81 this kind is the Poppucr type OF the french Sol
dief--the Petit Chasseur-or the Soldier OF the
Line
They were also required TO answer the fol-
lowing questions in arithmetic and grammar
i. Express in words ae following sO9o407.7o4.
Express in figures the following, avoiding the use
of common Tor vulgar fractions Eighteen thou
sand and eighteen dollars and eghty-one and one
hall cents
2 What win 1880 envelopes cost at the rate Of
s3.40 per thousand for half Of them and $3.50 per
thousand for remainder
3 How many acres 81 ground are contained IN a
tract Of land which j. divided into three farms OF
SO HE acres, 2s acres, and 20 sc acres respect
4 what number o. notes OF each denomination
below $50 and what number 81 silver coins Of each
denomination below ~, viii IL require 10 pay one
who receives S09.f5. another who receives
tlnu0, and another who receives $3.50. using the
larges, denominations possible for each payment :
o How many hours viii Il take a man 90 walk
from Washington 10 Baltimore Ss miles n lac
makes i51 steps per minute and advances "a inches
each step, mile containing 52s0 feet1
9 What - She value 81 grain taken 10y a. miller az
coll from 5000 bushels If wheat which weighs %
pounds 20 the bnshe aud s worth sl1b per bushel,
u ile takes pounds from each bushel2
2. Add together BIC - and 76 hundredths. and
2and - hundredths and multiply the sim by .05.
worth w cents per bushel. FOR 26 pounds Of sugar
what did the sugar eosi him per pound2
=. What viii Loo feet Of gas oOsi NJ 81. per
1900 feet, allowing discount Of y cents per Loo
i0 n 20 square feet OF floor be- required FOR each
clerk, how many can be accommodated in a room
- feet wide by 3 feet long, leaving space for Z
aisles each ? feel Woe and running ths whole
l. The Office could not be given 70 a more wortthei
q suspect the trip win afford IN pleasure.
3. Them thai seek wisdom shall find il.
4. Peace has AZ last come AND with IL has COINS
.. Isll wasl The pillar who upheld the State.
The $1,000 and 81 600 clerks were asked In
addition such questions as these:
Express "a words 5l0lC 00l5.
An army lost GSl3 men by disease 2lf by deser
tion and Loo KILLED. The whole army conlaincs
f0y0i how many more men were len than one
A has farm Of 100 acres worth slS5 mar acre. an,
TRADES with II, Tor a iarm Of l60 acres and a. LAC
What wac an acre Of BE land worth?
l6s work q job I5s days; how long viii I
talze two men 10 do the same work:
AZ q shinelo contains ~ square inches how man,
shingles ri IL take 10 cover a roof ~ feet long ant
feel
PUT 3 coo into business and b puts IN 8. ooc
A the emo Of year they divide ~ per cent; how
Tie third quarter q the year has " days o,
Aug y = second-class clerk h promoted tb
t!lrc class how much money docs he receive a
the END 81 tIe quaIterr
ono OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
There is q continual turmoil among the shop
Keepers and professional men Of MashingtOl
over the outside business done BY the clerks
The gT0cem complain that the clerks act a
agents for outside dealers in butter eggs, -four
etc: the tObaccOnisis murInur that those I,
Government employ solicit orders for cigari
tobacco and cigareis Cor manufacturers IN oihe
cities The tallOHs. haberdasbers, notion deal
ers drg-naoos men, etc. make the same com
plant, and the physicians grumble that thei
legitimate business is greatly curiailed b,
what they cali "sundown doctors. that 4
physicians who arc in the Departments an,
visit patients after the Departments close at
p. m. OF before they open az q. M. The lates
conllAinants arc thp architects and craftsmen
who grove that the employees Of the Eupervis
ing Architect 81 the Treasury "underbid
them and take away work that properly Dc
longs 20 them The heads Of Departments ar
continually imp0ftuBed 10 snake such FeguIs
lions as VIII put q stop 20 this competition
Men, 6ay the complaiDer, (" who are bein
paid hy fbl Government should not be alloEc
a. underbia and uHdcrsell those who are on
gagged iu business and must depend upon TIA
fOT their livelihood
lLis IS nnmnniy and small When A ma
enters Che employ ~ The Government ID doc
not lose the rights o. citizenship, though N
present tendency D. 10 dcpfive MIN Of The con
bsltuAona right 81 freely expressing his opir
ions. 30 lgng be does not impair the valu
81 the service De owes The Government he Ia
The aanie r.ehl he always had 10 employ an
hours that b docs not claim ia any way thi
VII promote bis weli-baing Ue may STUDY
81 himself i0r profession, or be may buy az
6eA - increase bls income and lay an a eto,
against a rainy day. ID b highly absurd (,
those ssopkccpcTs q assume that they hsg
some palent right q sell the people Of Wasl
luRlon everything flIat they need 10 buy Al
clnll can procure me a crock 81 butter o. A ID
Of cigars cheaper o. better than the same "a
b. bought ln Washington, what business \,
Tie Iciail grOrnr or the keeper Of a ciear-staf
a. grumticf lf j choose 10 have dose of sal
administered - my child by an educated ph,